


Dreamwalker

by justalittlelove



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Additional Warnings Apply, F/M, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Tags May Change, Warnings May Change, multi-chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-23
Updated: 2015-02-19
Packaged: 2018-03-08 18:52:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3219677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justalittlelove/pseuds/justalittlelove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>((Special thanks to Oliver and Sibi who are helping me stay motivated as I write this story.))</p><p> It is something none of our people have been able to truly grasp. The closest we can come to understanding the abilities of a Dreamwalker is comparing their abilities to that of a Dreamer. They can enter the Fade at will if trained correctly and manipulate the world around them, but that is as far as the similarities go. A Dreamwalker is bound to a single soul and is unable to do any damage in the physical world. Their one and only purpose is to help. They cannot torment the soul they are bound to, they are to protect them from demons and terrors. A Dreamwalker cannot walk the fade as freely as a Dreamer, as the name implies they are bound to the dreams of others. <br/>A Dreamwalker projects their spirit onto someone else. The only way to break this bond is through death and is extremely painful for the other party. It is said that a Dreamwalker feels the death of the one they are bound to. And vise-versa.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dashana Istimaethoriel

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for any mistakes I made. Feel free to point them out to me and I'll go back and fix them.

The sun was too bright, too hot, for others. It was a day that the shemlen nobles of Ostwick would stay inside and soak their too delicate feet in a basin filled with water. They would sit there and do, oh who knows, whatever privileged nobles did. Dashana imagined they complained mostly. That had been all they did when she was present. She felt nothing but pity for the shems who could not enjoy the beauty of even the warmest of summer days and coldest of winter nights.

A few miles outside of Ostwick was the Dalish clan Lavellan, as busy and full of life as always. Only the eldest and youngest of the children were not bustling with some sort of task, but that was a task all on its own. The eldest watched over the children who were not yet old enough to help around the camp; one boy who was just learning to walk, a girl who was still too young to sit up on her own, two more boys who were all too eager to be taken out hunting, and one girl who listened intently to every story the old elves had to tell. They were all doing their jobs well, the eldest taking great care to keep the children out of trouble and the children each shaping their own unique personalities. The girl was the oldest of the group and soon she would start helping around the camp.

Something about watching her clan grow warmed Dashana’s heart, perhaps it was one of the most rewarding parts about being keeper. She need but turn her head to see the children she once helped birth, now grown full and bustling about the camp. They were all, every one, her family. And she currently had no one to take care of that family once she died.

The thought rushed over her like a cold breeze and her smile flattened into a thin line. She had no First. Her thin and delicate fingers tightened around her staff and she swept her eyes over the camp before glancing at her hands that still wrapped around her staff. They were wrinkled and scarred. In the right light, when her grey hair hung loose from its usual tight bun and she didn’t bother to smile or look strong for others, Dashana looked as if the slightest touch could break her.

“Aneth ara, Keeper, I’m sorry to disturb you.” Dashana didn’t have to look to know that Hubon was standing next to her. The air about him was unmistakable, warm and protective.   
“Aneth ara, Da’len. There is no need to worry, you saved me from my own deep thoughts.” She smiled and glanced at him, “I should thank you.”

Hubon had changed so much from the child she pictured in her mind. He was taller than her now, blond hair falling freely over pale shoulders. He had become a fine hunter, and three namedays ago he had chosen the markings of Mythal. They suited him perfectly, in her opinion.

Hubon smiled and shook his head slightly, “I’d rather you didn’t. That would make things awkward.”

“Would it?” She mused.

Hubon rolled his eyes, but decided to entertain her. Others would find such an action very inappropriate.

“I’m afraid so. It’s only right to save such a beautiful woman from dark thoughts.”

Her laugh was always a beautiful thing. Something that opened up her chest to let the air in to remind herself that she was alive. Hubon would risk getting scolded by some of the elders of the clan if it meant seeing the Keeper laugh more often.

"Oh, Hubon, my dear, you always know how to make me smile. What is it that you wanted to speak with me about?" Dashana calmed herself but continued to smile honestly.

"It's about a younger of the clan, Amareth."

Dashana followed Hubon's gesture down to the small girl who sat with Talvon, the clan's story teller. Two long blond braids rested on her shoulders and her violet eyes were filled with curiosity. Three months ago, both of her parents were killed and her father's brother, Talvon took it upon himself to watch her.

Dashana took a deep breath at the memory. Her mother was the Halla Keeper and her father was a hunter to be envied and respected. They were good people who raised a wonderful daughter.

"Has something happened? Is she not settling well with Talvon?" Worry laced her voice and she tightened her grip on her staff.

“Calm yourself, Keeper, its nothing like that.”

“I see. That is… good.” The tension dissolved from her shoulders as she spoke.

“Talvon has told me she is showing signs of magic.”

“Truly? How long?"

"Three days now." The unspoken question hung in the air, heavy as lead. 'What should we do?' Dashana turned her attention back to Amareth. She was so young, barely old enough to be given camp responsibilities. She wouldn't be ready for training for four more namedays, unless Dashana said otherwise.

"We shall start training tomorrow. Tell Talvon that I need to speak to him privately." She kept her voice even as she watched the girl.

"Of course, Keeper." Hubon bowed his head slightly before leaving her side. Dashana tilted her head back and looked up at the clear blue sky. She had an apprentice. She had someone who, one day, would be able to take care of the clan. Surely, the Creators had blessed them.


	2. Amareth

"You have nothing to fear, Da'len. I will be with you. I will be following you, keeping the demons away. You will not see me, but know that I am there." The Keeper's words rang in her ears as Amareth opened her eyes. The place she found herself was unfamiliar. It reminded her of the market in Ostwick, in fact she was sure it must have been a market of some kind. Stalls with human merchants, calling out to passersby, crowded the center of the square. There were so many people it was suffocating.

The urge to run came out of nowhere. It was like a jolt of lightning through her body and then she was moving. She jumped over a stall and slid under someone's legs, not even slowing down when people shouted curses at her or told her to slow down. Then the air filled with laughter, but not hers. Someone ran with her, the blurred image of a girl. Her laughter was intoxicating and it made Amareth smile as they ran together. Side-by-side, as if they had danced this dance thousands of times before. They made a quick turn down an alley and took the chance to rest. The girl was unaware of Amareth's presence, of the disruption in her dream. So many questions filled the young apprentice's mind. Who was this girl? Why was she drawn to her dream? For now she settled with "Who are you?" But before the words could leave her mouth, the world around her changed.

The girl evaporated and the bricks melted to a sickly puddle at her feet. Amareth found herself in a cage. No, that wasn't the right word, it was a prison. But the iron bars that made up the door and the moss covered stone made it feel like a cage that she was never meant to leave.

"Whatever happens, do not panic. It is just a dream." She closed her eyes as she remembered the Keeper's words, "You are in control."

She reached out her hand and touched the bars. It only took a light push for the door to swing open. She took a few steps out of the cell and looked around. Identical cells lined the walls, each filled with faceless people crying for help. She took another deep breath and continued onward.

Hands reached out for her, pulling on her robes and tugging her hair free of it's braid. Bloody knuckles and too-skinny wrists. Wails of pain, pleas of help.

"This isn't real." She whispered, refusing to look at any of them as she walked.

It took much too long to reach the stone stairs that were only ten feet away. It took even longer for her to climb them. Each curve took her higher up what seemed to be a tower, but there was no destination. No end. She looked down at her feet as she stepped on each stone, refusing to look back but finding it easier than looking forward, than hoping.

Relief washed over her once she reached the final step and she pushed through a stone door. Another unfamiliar place. Lumps of flesh covered the stone walls, they throbbed with hunger as they tried to consume the building. Dead bodies littered the floor, some being fused with the lumps of flesh. And the stench, oh the stench was incredible. It made her want to retch until there was nothing left in her stomach, not even bile.

She was experiencing someone’s nightmare.

A man wearing strange armor was kneeling inside of some kind of barrier, surrounded by more dead bodies. They wore the same armor as him, she wondered if they were his anything more than his comrades. Perhaps his friends. Blood covered everything and the man was begging for someone to help him. He sounded so tired, he wanted it to stop. He was not even safe in his dreams.

Amareth knelt in front of him, placing her hands on the barrier and studying him. He couldn’t be seen clearly, just like the girl before him, but he sounded older than her.  

"I'm sorry..." She whispered.

His head snapped up when the words left her mouth. He could hear her?

"A demon? You did this! You killed them! Be gone!" Amareth stumbled back, falling on her backside and desperately covering her ears to block out his harsh shouts. He could not see her, he only saw what he feared. His voice became louder with each of his shouts and accusations, screaming that he would not hurt ‘her’ that he would not be tempted. His voiced pierced through her very being, making her ears bleed and her eyes water. The world around her shook and it was relief when the walls finally shattered. She was surrounded by nothing but the raw fade.

It was too much. Amareth wanted nothing more than to curl up on the ground and perhaps never move again. The Keeper had been wrong, she was not ready to come here. She was not ready to find her ‘true’ calling. She was only of ten years, too young. She wasn’t even strong enough to make out the faces of the people she was meeting, how was she supposed to know what she was meant to do? She couldn’t… afford to think like that.

The young elf shook the negative thoughts out of her head and forced herself back up. Thinking such things would attract demons, and somewhere out there the Keeper was fighting them all off. She refused to add to that burden.

“It’s called ‘Dreamwalking’, if I remember correctly.” A voice broke through the silence and the world around her changed once more. This one was not so unfamiliar, although she had never been there before. It was a simple clearing in the center of a forest. She could have believed it was real, but the grass was too green and the trees too tall and there wasn’t a single sign of human disturbance. It was all too perfect. The blurred image of a man stood a few feet in front of her, acutely aware of her presence.

"Who are you?" The words stumbled out of her before she even thought to ask herself if he could be dangerous. But something told her that if he had been a demon, his form would not have been so blurred. You couldn't tempt someone if they didn't know what they were getting.

"I am -" He said something. She knows he did, but she didn't hear. His name is like static in her ears and it pulled at something in her heart so she didn’t dare ask again.

"I'm Amareth." She told him, "What's Dreamwalking?"

"It is a very old Elvahn practice that allows one to enter someone's dreams. Once inside, one can manipulate what happens, for good or bad." He explained.

"I have never heard of that..." The weariness in her voice was obvious. She didn't know this man.

"I'm not surprised. Is not much of your lore and history lost to your people?"

Amareth sucked in a breath and didn't answer, although in truth she didn't need to. The man chuckled at her reaction and shook his head.

"But enough of that, Da'len. It's time for you to- wake up." The final words were spoken close to her ear, a command that left her feeling uneasy.

Amareth sat up in her bedroll, eyes scanning the tent. Everything was the same. Everything was alright.

"Da'len! Are you alright? There was a time where I could not follow you. Are you hurt?" The Keeper was by her side in an instance, checking her vital signs.

"I am fine, Keeper... I... met a man."

The woman's hands slowly fell from her young apprentice's face.

"A man? A human man?"

"I... Do not know. I could not see him clearly, although he seemed to have no trouble seeing me. He tried to tell me his name but I could not hear him. He said I was Dreamwalking." She explained, the memory still fresh in her mind. "Do you know anything of this?"

The Keeper frowned and shook her head, "I can't say I do, Da'len, but I will look into it. Perhaps our sister clan near Kirkwall will know something. They have been kind enough to us so far."

"Thank you, Keeper."

"No need to thank me, now get some rest. Some real rest." The Keeper gave Amareth's hand a squeeze before leaving the tent and returning to her own, but the young girl was going to find it difficult to sleep.


	3. Amareth

[Sahlin- now/in this moment]

She was going to get them killed, or worse, but by the Creators it felt so good. The shems were so quick to dismiss her as just another city elf once she put on their clothing. Without the Vallaslin markings, she looked like just another elf. It angered her, but gave her a certain freedom that she was not going to waste.

Nari stood warily at Amareth’s side. Her sapphire blue eyes filled with worry and irritation and her raven colored hair tied back in a bun. She was there to make sure Amareth didn’t do anything too reckless, she was there because the Keeper asked her to go, but she was also there because they were friends. Amareth’s pale skin seemed to reflect the light when she stood with her tan friend. She found it amusing, Nari claimed to have no opinion on the matter. Nari, who was the old story teller’s true daughter and was always getting after Amareth when the young First got into trouble.

Her friend, her sister, and her maybe-something-more.

Nari tugged gently on the long blond braid that flowed down Amareth’s back. The young elf hissed and tried to swat the offending hand away, Nari simply tightened her hold and tugged again.

“Tie up your hair. You plan on running, do you not? This will get in the way.” When Amareth didn’t respond, Nari tugged again. “Sahlin!” She demanded.

"Alright! Do you have a pin?" Amareth grumbled, taking her braid and wrapping it up in a bun. Nari didn't answer, but did stick a simple iron pin with a Halla ornament through her hair to keep it up.

"Ma serannas." She muttered.

“I shall wait here. I am not about to blindly charge into the shem’s market with you for no reason.” Nari said, her fingers lingering on the back of Amareth’s neck.

“You’ve had no trouble charging blindly with me before.” Amareth replied, a small smirk in her voice.

“Maybe that is the problem. One of us must grow up.”   
“That sounds terribly boring.”

Nari smiled despite herself and shook her head. “You must grow up as well, eventually”

“Me?” Amareth twirled around and wrapped her arms around the other girl’s waist, pulling her close and pressing their foreheads together. “Never.”

Nari rolled her eyes and tried not to laugh. “I thought you had important business in the city, Lethallan.” There was a teasing tone in her voice that dared her to stay.

Amareth’s eyes softened and she kissed Nari’s forehead, a simple gesture that held as much weight as a hug. “I’ll be back soon.” She whispered.

Nari didn’t move from her spot in the alley as Amareth snuck out and quickly blended with the crowd of people. She didn’t look back, she couldn’t for fear of drawing attention to the strange elf that clearly didn’t belong in a city.

Ostwick was suffocating. Too many shems pushing and shoving simply to be the first to get a loaf of bread or a slab of meat. Amareth didn’t understand, were they running low on bread? They seemed to have plenty. The elves there were either servants or lived in the slum they called the Alienage. They didn’t walk like Amareth or the other Dalish did, the city elves kept their heads down and avoided eye contact. Their automatic response to almost everything was to apologize, even if it was clear they were not the ones at fault. They looked terrified, struggling to survive in a world that was trying to stomp them out of existence.

The shems couldn’t tell Amareth from a City Elf, but they City Elves knew she was Dalish just by the way she walked. They offered her kind smiles, mirror opposites to the ones they were forced to show the shemlen Lords. They did not question why she was there or point out that she did not belong, the only contact she made with them so far was small smiles. It was like she gave them hope. In truth, it was unsettling for the young First. She already had her own clan riding on her back, she didn’t need every other elf in Ostwick hitching a ride as well. She wasn’t a symbol of hope. She wasn’t going to save anyone. She was just a girl.

Amareth was torn from her own thoughts when her face collided with someone's back. She wasn't given time to apologize before the shemlen turned around and, in one swift breath, was demanding an explanation. Each time she opened her mouth to explain or apologize, he shut her up with a few loud words. Curses and insults that she wasn't even sure she truly understood the meaning of.

It didn't take long for people to take notice, for a small crowd to gather around the shouting man and the incompetent Elven girl. Amareth could see a few of the city folk look at her and shake their heads disapprovingly, as if she was at fault. Well technically she had run into him, but he didn't need to be an ass about it. In some ways it was quite entertaining. The man's face turned red with rage and he got to the point where he was just rambling loudly in her general direction.

"There you are! I was looking everywhere for you!" An unfamiliar voice cut through the air and made the man cease his rambling, although his face stayed red and twisted in anger.

"Lord Trevelyan, you know this elf?" Amareth could taste the malice in his words.

The new voice laughed. "I'm afraid so." It took every ounce of self control not to pull away when 'Lord Trevelyan' wrapped his arm around her. "She is a new servant at the estate. I brought her out with me today to help me shop, but we got separated in the commotion."

The man glared at Amareth and grunted. "She shoved me."

Like hell I did. She thought, although she didn’t dare open her mouth at this point.

"I'm sure she didn't mean to. You know how busy this place gets around midday. I'd shove my own mother if she would brave these streets with me. Not to mention she was no doubt distracted with the task of finding me."

Amareth didn't turn her head to look at the shem by her side. She didn't shoot him a questioning glance or shrug off his arm from her shoulder. No matter how confusing the situation was, she didn't question it. Because it was working. Because, for some reason, this shem was helping her.

The man sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I suppose you're right. Can't blame the girl for being stupid."

She tensed up at the insult and felt a calming squeeze on her shoulder.

"Heh. Oh I would never call her stupid. She was doing her job. Probably thought I was lost or captured by bandits. Poor girl must have been worried sick about me."

“You’re too kind to your servants, ser.”

“I don’t think that is your decision to make.” The man opened his mouth to say something more, but he never got the chance. “I’m afraid I must take my leave. Father is waiting for me.” Trevelyen kept his arm firmly wrapped around Amareth’s shoulder and turned on his heel, easily moving through the crowd.

Once they were out of earshot, she spoke up. “Why did you help me?”

“You’re welcome.” There was mirth in his voice and she scoffed.

“I could have handled it. Why did you help?”

“I saw a beautiful young lady in distress. I couldn’t simply walk away.” At that, Amareth pushed him away. He simply laughed. “He would have killed you. You’re welcome.”

She hesitated before offering him a begrudging “Thank you.”

He grinned. “I’ll take you back to the Alienage, make sure you don’t get into anymore trouble.” He offered her his hand and she looked at it for a moment, considering her options. Nari was waiting for her. She shook her head.

“No. I don’t need help from you, shem. Although… I do thank you for today. Perhaps I was truly in danger.” Amareth bowed her head slightly and turned to leave, haulted only by the young man’s cheerful voice.

“You are unlike any elf I have ever met.” She turned her head and he smiled, “Perhaps we will meet again.”

“We will not.”

 


	4. Nari

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think about the story so far.

[ Seth’lin - thin blood

How long had it been. An hour? Two hours? She had lost track of time as she sat in that alley, waiting for her dear friend to return. It was only supposed to take five minutes, maybe ten. It shouldn’t have taken this long to get a stupid book. The soft padding of feet on the pavement made Nari freeze. It filled her with both hope and dread. As Amareth appeared around the corner, the dread was replaced with anger. Nari stomped towards her, pushing her against the wall and pressing her dagger against her throat.

“You! You.. _seth’lin_!” Nari snarled with the insult, tightly gripping the hilt of her dagger.

“Hey, that’s a little harsh.” Amareth gave a small apologetic smile, but Nari simply slammed her head against the brick.

“You scared me! I thought… I thought…” Tears filled the young girls eyes as her grip on the dagger loosened. The First frowned, gently grabbing her friend’s wrist and pulling the dagger away from her throat.

“I thought you were dead.” Nari finally choked out, her voice breaking into something foreign to even her.

Amareth wrapped her arms around Nari, kissing the top of her head and whispering gentle comforts. “I’m sorry. I am safe. I am safe, Nari.” She repeated the words even as the smaller elf started to shake. She gripped at the front of her shirt and nuzzled her face against her neck. Nari felt Amareth undo the bun that held her short hair back, combing her fingers through the dark tendrils that stuck out wildly.

Through the comforting whispers there was an empty promise. One that they both knew she wouldn't be able to keep. "I'll never leave you, Nari." Yet the words sank into her skin and dissolved the problems that rested in her bones. "I'm not going anywhere." It was a lie and they both knew it, but for some reason that didn't matter.

\---

When they got back to camp, the pair went off in their own directions. Amareth went to the Keeper's tent with the book she had 'found' and Nari sat herself down next to the firepit. She must have looked as tired as she felt because her father gave her a worried look. She just shook her head. The old storyteller walked over and sat by his daughter's side, silent only for a few moments.

"I take it you didn't enjoy the city." He stated.

Nari scoffed and kicked at the dirt.

"Was it that bad?"

"She scared me half to death for a blighted book." Nari mumbled.

"And yet you seem more upset with yourself then with her." Talvon gently turned Nari's head to the side and started braiding the sides of her hair.

"I'm upset because I let myself worry about her. It's like a never ending nightmare, you know. And sometimes I think she enjoys making me worry." She waved her hand for emphasis as she spoke and her father hummed.

"I think she enjoys seeing you react. Not in a bad way, but I think that sometimes she worries. You've become so serious lately, I think it scares her." He tied the two braids together, pulling her hair out of her eyes.

"Everyone has to grow up eventually." Nari mumbled, tracing a finger over one of the small braids. It was the way her father used to tie her hair back when she was still just a child.

"Yes, I know. She knows too, perhaps better than any of us, maybe that's why she acts so childish. But just because you will one day have to grow up, doesn't mean you must do it all at once. And growing up doesn't mean being serious all the time, just look around you. Everyone needs to laugh and smile, Da'len. If there is nothing to smile about, then we are truly lost."

Nari sighed a bit and nodded, turning to look at the burnt out firepit. Her father always did have a way of making her feel like a child. It both humbled and irritated her, but something told her that was never going to stop.

Nari looked up as the Keeper's tent opened, watching as Amareth and the Keeper walked out. She looked so serious in that moment, as she nodded and spoke with the Keeper. Probably discussing the book she had taken from Ostwick just a few hours earlier. Nari was curious as to what was so important about it, but she knew that even if she asked there would be no answer. Just a smile and a shrug.

Amareth was good at that, avoiding questions. She always either smiled and shrugged or skillfully changed the subject. Or she just straight up lied about what was going on.

With a short wave to the Keeper, Amareth started walking towards Nari and her father. Her serious face quickly brightened into a smile when she saw them, and she broke into a short run.

"You both look so morbid. Is something wrong?" She asked, sitting herself in front of the two.

Talvon smiled just as warmly to welcome her, but Nari turned her head away. "We were simply talking, Da'len. Did you enjoy the city?"

Amareth didn't answer, instead turning her attention to her friend. "She's mad, isn't she?"

"It seems that way. I wouldn't worry, she'll come around." Talvon assured her.  Amareth frowned a bit but nodded in agreement.

Nari pushed herself up and brushed off the back of her leggings, hardly glancing at Amareth as she spoke. "I'll join the others gathering firewood. I'm sure they will need all the help they can get."

She didn't wait for an answer and pretended not to notice the hurt look in her friend's eyes as she walked past. It didn't matter if she was angry, they really did need firewood.

Nari grabbed one of the satchels they used to carry wood and started into the forest, quick to find any sign of the small group that would be nearby. Really it wasn’t a forest, more of a large gathering of trees. Nothing compared to what they had in the south, at least that’s what Amareth kept insisting she saw in her dreams. Large areas where the trees seemed neverending.

“I’ll take you there one day.” Nari smiled at the thought. Another empty promise.

She found Damon first, lingering behind the rest of his group as always while he whistled some tune she didn't recognize.

He was a few years older than Nari but didn't act like it. She was surprised when the Keeper allowed him to receive his Vallaslin a year ago.

"Slacking off again?" Damon jumped a bit when Nari spoke, slowly relaxing once he recognized her voice. His auburn hair was pulled back poorly and his honey colored eyes glanced over her quickly.

"Running away again?" Was his reply.

Nari glared at the back of his head scoffed. “I didn’t run away, I came to help.”

“We have all the help we need, Lethallan.” He waited until she caught up before continuing on in the forest, twirling his hatchet absentmindedly.

“There is probably more work for you at camp then out here.”

She scoffed. “Like what?”

“How about actually facing your lover instead of hiding in the forest?” Damon smirked and Nari shoved him.

“She is not my lover, you know that.”

“On the contrary, the whole clan can see how much you love her.”

Nari stopped in her tracks, looking up at the sky as if it held some kind of hidden answer. Like she expected the trees to part and let in the light to its full extent. Maybe the light would wash everything away.

“I can’t love her.” She mumbled.

“Yet you do.” Damon frowned and gently grabbed the back of Nari’s neck, pulling her focus back to him. She seemed so far gone, eyes lingering on every detail of his face as if to confirm he wasn’t a dream. “Love is not a weakness.” He told her.

Nari returned the gesture, her hand clamping firmly on the back of his neck and their foreheads resting together in a type of embrace. “You are wrong, Damon.” She whispered, “It is.”

 

 


	5. Cullen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (I'm having such a hard time staying motivated guys.)  
> The song is Hanging Tree from The Hunger Games.   
> I really like symbolism and I just feel like this song is the kind of song you would sing sitting around a fire. And it reminded me of the Dalish because, well, its talking about death and fear. The song was actually a big inspiration for the story.  
> In my mind, the only way Amareth could ever get through to Cullen was to sing to him because if she tried just talking to him, he would freak out like the first time she met him.

It was an itch he couldn't scratch, a voice in the back of his mind screaming at him and pulling at his mind. It blocked off any and all parts of his mind that would be able to identify his situation as a dream.

Blood overwhelmed his senses and Cullen resisted the urge to gag as he knelt over. Everyone was dead. He had failed. It was the mage's fault. They couldn't be trusted. None of them.

Lazily, he glanced around the room from the small barrier he was trapped inside. Seeing only death and gore. Pulsing flesh oozed from the stone walls. His fellow Templars, ripped to shreds and left to rot. The more he allowed himself to look, the more it hurt his clouded mind. Cullen wanted to scream and cry at the same time, but he was a grown man.

So he looked away.

_Are you, Are you_

_Coming to the tree_

The voice laced it's way into the Templar's head, causing his eyes to shoot open and look around in a panic. A demon? He saw nothing. No one.

_They strung up a man_

_They say who murdered three_

Cullen scrambled to his feet, frantically searching for the source of the voice. A girl?

_Strange things did happen here_

_No stranger would it be_

_If we met at midnight_

_In the hanging tree_

"I will not be tempted, Demon!" His voice cut through the sound of the young girl's voice. It seemed to pause for a moment before starting again, this time slightly louder.

_Are you are you_

_Coming to the tree_

Culled covered his ears in hopes of shutting out the voice, but it did nothing. It had a firm grip on his mind now.

_Where a dead man called out_

_For his love to flee_

"Enough! I will not be toyed with!"

_Strange things did happen here_

_No stranger would it be_

"I said enough!" The world around him shook with his voice, shattering into nothingness. Cullen was left in a blank space of pure white.

_If we met at midnight_

_In the hanging tree_

The shadowed figure of a woman sat some distance away. He hesitated before moving towards her.

_Are you are you_

_Coming to the tree_

Slowly, the area around him started taking shape. A wooded area that he had never seen, filled with trees and wildflowers.

_Where I told you to run_

_So we'd both be free_

A young Elven girl sat under the shade of a tree, singing to herself. Or maybe to him. She was a stranger, yet something about her was painfully familiar.

_Strange things did happen here_

_No stranger would it be_

Her long blond hair was resting over her shoulder in a braid, eyes closed as she seemed to be resting. The Dalish tattoos on her face looked beautiful and delicate, outlining her face gracefully.

_If we met at midnight_

_In the hanging tree_

Cullen didn't even notice how close he had gotten to her until she opened her eyes. 'Beautiful' didn't do them credit. Violet eyes that tinted pink in the sunlight and threatened to see right through him. He felt the urge to reach out and trace his finger over her cheek. He could have easily done it.

"Hello." She said, smiling softly.

Cullen jumped back, regaining himself and startling the girl significantly.

"Wait! Don't be scared, it's alright now." She scrambled to her feet and held up her hands in a type of surrender. Cullen noted the tattoos that swirled around her fingers as well. "I'm here to help."

Cullen sneered and took a few more steps back. "I don't make deals with demons."

"Demons?" The girl slowly lowered her hands. "I'm no demon."

"And why should I trust you?"

"Would you be so easily tempted by a Dalish elf?" She raised a brow curiously and Cullen answered her question with silence. She sighed. "I am not the desire you seek. A demon would cling to the desire you have, they would not try to create a new one for you. Too much effort. They prey on the temptations already inside of you. Or am I wrong, Ser Templar?"

No, she was right. Cullen knew she was right. It didn't make sense for a demon to take the shape of someone he had never met. He wasn't the type of person to be tempted by someone he didn't know, it didn't matter how beautiful she was.

"Then who or what are you?" His tone had softened somewhat, a bit less accusing. The girl smiled and straightened her back.

"My name is Amareth. I’m a friend.” The elf sat back down under the tree.

“You are no friend of mine. I’ve never met you before.” Cullen kept a safe distance from her, still standing.

“Well, its complicated, and to be honest I hardly understand it myself. I’ve known you for about eight years now.” She spoke slowly, playing with her hair as she searched for words in her mind. “Wait, that sounded really weird, let me explain. When I was younger, you called for help. I know that sounds really crazy but just hear me out. You were having a nightmare, just like the one you had tonight, and you called out for help. For some reason, I answered that call. I tried to help you, but you… well it didn’t go well. Ever since then, I’ve been able to find you in the Fade. You call to me when your dreams become too much to bare.” The girl tried to explain.

Cullen sighed and rubbed his forehead. “That makes no sense. I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

The girl groaned and tilted her head back. “Creators help me.” She breathed before looking back at Cullen, “I’m terrible at explaining things. Ask Merrill, with any luck Marethari will still have that book.”

Cullen’s confusion only increased as the elf spoke, the world around them wavering slightly. Her eyes widened as she seemed to notice the change as well.

“Listen. Listen to me carefully. You won’t remember me. This will all just be a dream to you. Merrill will know. Talk to her. Find Merrill.” The girl started to crack, her smooth skin breaking like glass and blowing away like crumbled leaves. Her violet eyes looked panicked before they went dull and all that was left of her was the shadow he had first seen. With her she took the beautiful wooded area and he was left in nothingness once again.

\--

“Champion, good to see you.” Cullen greeted Hawke as he aproached him in the Gallows, his usual band of misfits following close behind. A Dalish mage, an ex-slave, and the Captain of the guard herself. Cullen nodded to Aveline and she nodded back. Things between him and the Captain had been tense since the Knight Commander tried to have Cullen take over her post. He was truthfully glad Hawke sorted it all out. Cullen didn’t bother to remember the names of his other companions, but he always seemed to have the brooding elf at his side. He had an air about him that screamed tread carefully. Cullen found it hard to believe he got along well with Hawke; yet they always stood together, the Hawke crest resting on the elf’s hip. The Dalish elf was mystery all on her own. Her eyes wide and filled with questioning wonder. She was terrible at hiding her magic, Cullen had seen her use magic a few times in the Gallows. It was as if she didn’t grasp the danger she was in around the Templars.

“What brings you here?” Cullen questioned, bringing his attention back to the apostate Champion. His title held weight, but it wasn’t enough to protect his friends as well as himself.

“Just enjoying the fresh air. The Gallows is such a lovely place for a stroll this time of day.” Hawke mused, glancing around at the brass statues. “Lovely.” He repeated.

The Dalish shifted a bit, causing Cullen to glance at her. “The Gallows is not a safe place for Apostates.” He warned.

Hawke returned his attention to Cullen, not once glancing at the elf girl that stood behind him. “If I see any apostates, I’ll make sure to warn them.” Guard Captain Aveline and the elven man smirked, sharing a knowing glance.

“Champion, I respect your position in Kirkwall, but you must understand that you can’t hide behind your status forever.”

"Is that a threat?" The male elf spoke up, taking a step forward only to have Hawke hold out an arm to stop him.

"It's a warning." Cullen answered, glancing at the Templars that patrolled the Gallows. At this point, Meredith was just begging for an excuse to take everything away from Hawke. He was doing worse than nothing to help her. He had become a liability in her eyes.

“Your concern is appreciated, Knight Captain.” Aveline spoke up, gently placing her hand on Hawke’s arm to try and urge him away. It didn’t work. The Champion stood firmly in place.

“Merrill wanted to come here, Aveline, we can’t leave until she has found what she is looking for.” Hawke said, turning to face his companion. She frowned a bit but removed her hand.

“The mage doesn’t even know what she is looking for, Hawke. We could be here for hours. We need to leave.” The elf spoke with irritation dripping from his voice as he scanned the area nervously. Shifting from one foot to the other, ready to run or attack in a moments notice. His hostility towards Cullen removed for the moment.

“Fenris is right, we need to leave. It isn’t safe to bring her here.” Aveline tensed, suddenly acutely aware of the suspicious glares that rested on the group. “We don’t want to start a fight.”

“Fights are fun. I like fights.” Hawke mused with a smirk, earning a glare from the elf that stood next to him and a sigh from the Guard Captain. He looked back and addressed the Dalish, “Merrill?”

“It’s difficult to remember, even for me. We don’t have a connection that is meant to last in the physical world. It’s a miracle she found me in our dreams. She’s gotten much stronger. I remember the book and the song.” She answered, holding out the leatherbound book she held in her hands.

“This is ridiculous.” The elf mumbled.

“You could always leave.” Hawke offered, earning him another harsh glare.

“Don’t worry, Fenris. I can hear the song here. Someone else is singing it though.” The Dalish smiled and ran her fingers over the markings that covered the book.

Cullen sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Maker’s breath. “If you really must be here, then come back later. Wait until the sun sets and there are less people. I can get you in, make sure you aren’t seen. If you can’t manage that, then at least-”

Cullen was cut off. A ripping pain in his stomach.

No. Nothing there. No blood. He fell to his knees and cried out, deaf to the shouts of Hawke and Aveline as they called for help. Mind wandering to some place not so far off.

**_Are you are you_ **

**_Coming to the tree_ **

Blood and fire. Pain. So much pain. Nari. Who’s Nari? Don’t die. No.. don’t die, Nari. Don’t leave me. So much blood, so much fear. Unable to distinguish the here from the there. Eyes blind to the hand that tried to help him, focusing on the things that aren’t there. Seeing from the eyes that aren’t his. We made a promise. Are the tears his? He can’t tell. He was numb to the hands that shake him. Amareth. The name flooded his mind. No face. Just a name. A name filled with pain.

**_Wear a necklace of rope_ **

**_Side by side with me_ **

Blood stained grass. Broken bows and broken bones. My fault. Pleas of mercy. Blood splattering against the face that wasn’t his. There was not time to retrieve the bodies. They were not returned to the earth. They were left out in the open for the wildlife to feed off of. They deserved better. She deserved better.

_**Strange things did happen here** _

**_No stranger would it be_ **

Can’t breathe. Wound won’t close. I’ll die with them. So much blood on her body. What’s  mine? Another spell. Another painful jolt through her body that he felt as well. Just let me die with them…

**_If we met at midnight_ **

_**In the hanging tree** _

A hand touched the back of his neck. Warm. It sended sparks down his spine. Whispered words he didn't understand. Screams of fear fading. Turning into shouts and commands. His eyes focused. A girl pressing her forehead against his. Magic tingled down his back. Her eyes searched his. The worry in her eyes faded. He was back. He was fine.

The elf tried to say something as she was ripped away by the Templars, Cullen’s mind still too blurry to tell them to stop. Hawke shouted something he didn’t recognize and the girl answered. “He has the song.” He didn’t know what it meant, no one did. She didn’t struggle as the Templars took her away, and Aveline kept telling Hawke not to worry. The leatherbound book sat on the ground, dropped sometime in the madness.

Cullen picked it up as he struggled to stand once more. Ignoring the pain from a   wound that wasn’t there.

 

 


	6. Amareth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for violence and blood

Michael Trevelyan. He was a smart-mouthed shemlen noble with too much time on his hands. Amareth had hated him at first, perhaps rightfully so, but somehow his inappropriately timed jokes and flirtatious antics that held as much weight as air grew on her. He was her clanmate. He was there to pull her out of trouble when she pissed off the wrong shem in the market, he was there to pose fake parties where the two of them would pose as outrageous Orlesian nobles, he was there when Nari couldn’t be, and in return she was there for him. She was there to sneak him out his bedroom window at night, she was there to scream at the sky with him when things got too heavy, she taught him how to climb trees and how to mix healing potions. She was his family. And now she was leaving.

“You never taught me how to talk to Halla.” Michael said, walking next to the stone wall that Amareth balanced on. The cold stone felt good on the souls of her feet and the height of the wall made her a good two feet taller than him. Another thing she would miss.

“You don’t talk to them, you just have a mutual understanding.” She replied, her long braid hitting the back of her knees as she walked.

“I’ve seen you talk to them.” There was laughter in his voice and she simply shrugged.

“They don’t talk back. I speak to the trees as well.”

“Ah yes, as is the savage way of the Dalish Elves. Talking to trees and dancing naked in the moonlight!”

“Don’t forget the part where we steal shemlen children in the dark of night.” Amareth added with a teasing smirk. Michael laughed, loud and pure, a sound that echoed through the garden.

He looked at her, still smiling as he spoke. “When’s the last time you cut your hair?”

“Probably when I was six years of age.” She answered, smiling as well. He raised his eyebrows in question and she rolled her eyes. “I cut it when I first came into my magic. It was a symbol of a new start. When I cut it, I was no longer just a little girl who lived among the clan, I was the Keeper’s First. When I become Keeper, I will cut it again.”

“To symbolize a new start?” He finished for her. The two stopped walking as they came to the end of the stone wall and she nodded.

“Send me your hair when you cut it off.” Michael said with a smirk.

“Out of all the things you have said to me in the past five years, that is the most disturbing.” Amareth replied, grimacing slightly.

“No it’s not! That’s an actual thing!” He defended, trying not to laugh at her reaction, “When a man goes out to battle, he takes a lock of his love’s hair as a token to remember her by.”

Amareth laughed and shook her head, jumping down from the stone wall. “Last time I checked, you weren’t going to battle.”

Michael hummed in response, taking her hand and lacing their fingers together. “I’m going to miss you and your stupid tattoos.” He mumbled, gently squeezing her hand.

She smiled up at him, returning the gentle squeeze. “Is this where you confess your undying love for me, promising to find me no matter where I go?” She teased.

“Maker, no!” He laughed, “You’re like my sister.” He smiled sadly at the statement, like a realization. “You’re leaving.”

She frowned. “Yea. Yea, I’m leaving.”

“Bah! Just don’t get dead.” He let go of her hand and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to pull himself back into the calm state he had been in just moments before. She would have to leave soon. The sun was high in the sky, almost noon.

“I won’t say goodbye. You know where to find me.” He told her stubbornly, causing her to smile softly.

“I know.” She said. There was a pause between them. A time where any other pair would hug and say their final goodbyes, they shared silence. A false hope that they would meet again.

\--

They should have left sooner. The unspoken fact rang loudly as the Lavellan Clan moved through the plains of the Free Marches. Amareth had begged for a few hours to say goodbye to Michael, and the Keeper had given it to her. It was a selfish thing to do, and as she realized they would have to travel all night to get far enough away from Ostwick before stopping, she regretted it. She could have said goodbye the night before, or simply not at all. That wouldn't have been fair to him, but as First it was her responsibility to think of her clan first. She had failed in that aspect. And maybe if they had left earlier, she could have prevented the series of events that happened that evening. But she didn’t. And so they did.  

They had been traveling for a few hours when the disturbance was felt, sensed by the halla that pulled the aravels. They stopped moving, looking up and around the area for the unseen threat. Amareth paused when she noticed, trying to see what they saw as a few other of the clan tried to get the halla moving again. There were few places to hide on the flat land, yet no threat was seen.

A rush of air as an arrow just missed Amareth and a scream. That was all it took for the calm to break. The halla were in a frenzy and everyone was scrambling for cover that didn't exist. The Keeper took charge as best she could.

"Nari! Get all the children onto the aravels! Hubon, gather the hunters and prepare yourselves, this is going to be bloody! Talvon, help calm the halla! Amareth, keep everyone moving!" She shouted out commands naturally amongst the chaos, demanding respect and recognition. Everyone did as she said.

Talvon joined Aila in the attempt to take back control over the halla, and in turn the aravels. Nari called to Damon, running frantically to grab as many children they could carry at once and practically throw them onto the wagons. It took them two trips, and somewhere in the screaming chaos of children, Damon took a shot to his arm.

Hubon gathered a group of skilled hunters and dashed off towards the offenders, quickly joined by Damon who ignored his useless and bloodied arm. Aila watched him go with a pained look on her face, her hand resting for a moment over her stomach.

It was near impossible to direct everyone back in the direction they were headed. Amareth did not posses the same demand for respect the Keeper had. She rose up walls of fire to keep out any of the offenders that tried to reach them and guide the clan forward at the same time. It was like herding wild halla. There was panicked shouting as arrows continued to fly and people tried to find their loved ones, disregarding their own safety. There was so much fear around them. Someone lie dead on the grass, the arrow meant for her sticking out of his neck.

“Amareth!” Nari grabbed her arm, pulling her back to reality, “I’m going to help fight.” It wasn’t a request.

"What? No! You can't!" There was panic in Amareth's voice and eyes. She was shaking. When did she start shaking?

"I'll be fine. It's just a handful of shems. I could handle them myself." Nari tried to sound confident, but she was failing. No simple shems could make a shot like that and they both knew it. No simple shems could keep themselves hidden in the plains for so long.

"Nari, please. Don't do this." Dread was building in the pit of her stomach and she shook her head. The request was once again a selfish one. _Please don’t leave me_. The words were silent, but there.

"I have to. I must protect the clan. Just as you must lead us one day." Nari spoke the words with a truth that cut both of them to the core. _You have a job to do_. She paused before taking the halla pin out of her hair and holding it out for Amareth to take. "Put up your hair. It will just get in the way." _Don’t forget me_.

She accepted the pin, closing her eyes tightly for a moment as she felt the grip on her hand loosen and then disappear completely. Amareth opened her eyes to watch her leave, taking a deep breath as she wrapped her braid into a bun and pinned it into place.

It took a few minutes to find the Keeper in the chaos, but Amareth found her tending to the wounded in the second aravel. They placed a barrier over the traveling aravels together. It would protect from any kind of ranged attacks and magic, but that was about it. So far that seemed to be enough.

“This is my fault.” The words left the young First’s mouth before she could think to stop them and tears filled her eyes. “I did this.”

“Da’len. This was not your doing.” The Keeper frowned and placed her hand on Amareth’s shoulder but she pulled away.   
“I need to help.” Her voice was shaky as she looked out the back of the aravel, still able to see the fighting.

“You can’t. You must stay here. You must stay safe.” The Keeper grabbed her shoulders again, this time with force, and turned Amareth to face her.

“Is it not my duty to protect the people?!”

“It is your duty to survive! It is your duty to remember what was lost to us, to lead us back home when the time comes! They are giving us time to escape, you cannot let their sacrifice be in vain.”

Amareth shook her head, ignoring the tears that continued to run down her cheeks. “I cannot sit idly by as my people die for me.”

“You will achieve nothing but death yourself.” The Keeper’s voice softened. She knew she couldn’t stop her First, only beg her to stay.

“Then let me die.”

The Keeper loosened her grip on the young girl’s shoulders. Too young, she thought, but that stopped mattering long ago.

Amareth jumped out the back of the aravel and dashed towards the fighting. Fire blazed against her skin, both from her spell and the offenders arrows. She didn’t have time to mourn the clanmates she saw scattered on the bloodstained grass, she didn’t have time to count the bodies or ask for the Creators to guide them. She just ran. She ran until she saw Nari, fighting alongside a few others.

So many lie dead.

A quick healing spell was cast over the group. She leapt high into the air, landing with her fists firm against the ground. With the landing she called every ounce of power she had down onto the offenders, pushing them down onto the ground or flinging them away. Nari shot her a disapproving glare that screamed you shouldn’t be here. It didn’t matter. They didn’t have time to argue.

Amareth planted herself firmly, feeling the earth flow through her as she moved. It was difficult to cast without a staff, but not impossible. An ice spell used on a man’s blood freezing his very being and leaving him vulnerable-- smashed to bits by Hubon’s hammer. Arrows flew from Nari’s bow faster than any of them could blink. Damon was weak with his daggers but still fast, cutting down the men if they got too close.

It turned into a rhythm where she could block it all out. All she saw was the colors of the blood and fire, the spells she cast and the pulsing of the earth below her feet. The only thing that could have pulled her out of that rhythm was the gasp from twenty feet away.

Nari. Her eyes were wide as her bow fell to the ground, blood dripping from her neck. An arrow had gone straight through, sticking out either side. Pain twisted on her face and she fell to her knees. Amareth rushed to her side, panic stretching the edges of her mind. Blood dripped from her lips, every breath she took was a sickening sound. In the distance Hubon shouted at Damon, telling him to keep fighting.

She had to pull out the arrow.

She held Nari up and she snapped the arrowhead off, pulling the rest out in one swift motion. The blood started flowing freely and Amareth choked back a sob as she covered the wounds with her hands. She had to focus, willing the magic inside of her to heal the wounds.

“Please.. please don’t die.”

Pain. A burning pain that forced itself through her back and invaded her insides. Amareth’s hand’s twitched as Nari fell, her side now bloody as well. Why? Her breaths became gasps and she looked down at the crimson blade that emerged from her stomach. It was a beautiful blade, she thought, finely crafted with detailing that resembled leaves.

“You will never hurt anyone again, savage!” The words were spoken close to her ear. A hiss. An ironic pain as she stared at the blade that was slowly pulled out of her. She fell to the ground next to Nari, fearful tears spilling from her eyes as she listened for the man to leave.

She couldn’t move. She couldn’t cast a spell. Nari wasn’t moving. The fighting was over. Hubon and Damon weren’t there. They were probably dead. Nari was dead. The events continued to play in her mind as the fire warmed her back. _Help_. The unspoken call rang through her mind as she lay unmoving in the grass. _Help **them**_. She shut her eyes and focused on the nothingness in her mind. **_Please help them_**. There was no notice taken to the arms that wrapped around her and pulled her off the ground. She took no notice when she was placed on the moving wagon or her clothes were removed. Only when the familiar warmth of a healing spell glazed over her body was she brought out of the nothingness she so adored. _No.. no let me die with them._

 

 


	7. Cullen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Painfully short chapter, so double update.

_“It is something none of our people have been able to truly grasp. The closest we can come to understanding the abilities of a Dreamwalker is comparing their abilities to that of a Dreamer. They can enter the Fade at will if trained correctly and manipulate the world around them, but that is as far as the similarities go. A Dreamwalker is bound to a single soul and is unable to do any damage in the physical world. Their one and only purpose is to help. They cannot torment the soul they are bound to, they are to protect them from demons and terrors. A Dreamwalker cannot walk the fade as freely as a Dreamer, as the name implies they are bound to the dreams of others._

_“A Dreamwalker projects their spirit onto someone else. The only way to break this bond is through death and is extremely painful for the other party. It is said that a Dreamwalker feels the death of the one they are bound to. And vise-versa.”_

Cullen slammed the book shut and threw it at the iron bars that separated him from Merrill. “What does it mean?!” He demanded, panicking. “Does this mean there is a mage fucking around in my mind?!”

She flinched when the book was thrown and noticeably recoiled when he raised his voice but still answered as calmly as she could. “No. No that’s not- Amareth isn’t a bad person. She’s just trying to help.”

“Is this blood magic? How can she do this?” Cullen lowered his voice, grabbing the iron bars and looking down at Merrill. She looked so small. So scared.

“No! Its just forgotten magic. It has nothing to do with demons.” Merrill looked away from him, pressing her body into the corner as much as she could.

It had been a week since the incident at the Gallows and the nightmares had gotten worse ever since. Nightmares of the Circle Tower in Ferelden and now Nightmares of an attack he didn’t know about. Fire, blood, and faces he didn’t recognize but still pained him to see. It had been a week since Cullen got any kind of sleep. Now he was demanding answers but not listening to anything Merrill said before asking another question. “Why is she doing this? What does she gain?”

Merrill shook her head, her green eyes wide as she stared at the ground. “She just wants to help.”

“Why?! I never asked for her help! I don’t know her!”

“Yes you do!” She let out a broken sob and squeezed her arms for comfort, “You do know her! You just don’t remember…”

“ENOUGH!” The demanding voice of Hawke caused Cullen to turn, taking a few steps back. Of course he found a way to get past Meredith. He walked down the corridor with the Guard Captain, the elf he now knew as Fenris, and a woman known as Isabella. “That’s enough, Cullen.” Hawke repeated, missing the usual snark in his voice as he approached the Templar.

Isabella looked like she was about to break into a run as she walked towards to cell, not stopping when the others did. She knelt down to Merrill’s level and practically pressed her face against the bars, smiling to try and hide the worry. Merrill looked terrible. Her face was paler than usual and she couldn’t stop shaking. “Hey, Kitten.” She said softly.

Merrill moved away from the wall, getting closer to the iron bars as well. Getting closer to Isabella. She let her fingers overlap the human’s hand as they held onto the bars and she also leaned her head forward, resting their foreheads together. “I’m alright.” Was the first thing she told her.

“You can’t be here.” Cullen said through gritted teeth, taking a step towards the two women. Fenris blocked his path, his glare enough to stop a dragon in its tracks.

“Leave them.” He said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“If you have a problem with us being here, you should take it up with the Knight Commander.” Avaline spoke up, “We are here to take Merril back.”

“You can’t do that!” Cullen protested, taking a daring step towards Avaline now. She took a step forward as well, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms, daring him to do something.

“Isabella, how’s that lock comin?” Hawke asked, his attention on the two woman. She didn’t need to answer. Fenris held the iron bars open as Isabella helped Merrill stand. “Sorry ‘bout that. We weren’t going to sit here all day and try to convince you to give us the key.” He said, glancing at Cullen.

Isabella handed Merril over to him and he picked her up. She thanked him, her smile brightening her face despite how sick she was.

“Thank you for cooperating.” Avaline said as the group turned to leave. Cullen hadn’t cooperated, but he knew what she meant. _Thank you for not making me kill you._

He watched as they left, they carried away the only one who could possibly give him any answers. He glanced at the book still laying on the ground and clenched his fists. “Wait!” They didn’t turn to look at him, but they did pause. “Amareth… that’s her name right? Where is she? Maybe she can explain what I saw.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” Merril was blocked from sight, but she still spoke clearly, “She’s dead. You saw her die.”


	8. Amareth

The breeze on her skin burned the cut on her face. It was healing nicely along with her other wounds but would leave a scar. A beautifully ugly scar. She wasn’t even sure how she got it. An arrow, perhaps. The attack was such a blur and it was painful to think about. In truth, she could have given the wound to herself when she was casting magic, backlash of a spell perhaps. Or maybe a shem dragged their blade across her face as she lay half dead on the ground.

Amareth frowned at the thought, shifting uncomfortably against the tree trunk that supported her. She still couldn’t stand or sit up on her own. She sat topless against a great white oak, bandages covering her abdomen and long blond hair free of it's usual braid. The bark on the oak tree was smooth and she could feel it breathing. It felt like it was holding her, trying to give her some kind of comfort. Trying to give her the will to live on.

Amareth had lost it, the will to live. She almost laughed at the thought, her fingers tracing the halla pin she held in her hands. Her will was dead. Her sunshine, her moon, her breath, her reason, her joy, her laughter. Her everything. She was dead. She was laying in the plains somewhere, bloodied and broken, not even properly buried. All Amareth felt was bitterness.

She didn’t understand why she survived. She had been fatally wounded and left to bleed out on the grass, so why was she still there? Nari would have said something about how she had a responsibility to live. She would start scolding her about her duty as First to one day become Keeper and lead the people as she was trained to do. But Nari was dead and Amareth had never felt so alone. The clan blamed her for the attack, although they did it quietly. No one could look at her without either pity or anger in their eyes.

The soft crunching of leaves told Amareth that someone was near, but she didn’t react. If they were there to kill her, she honestly wouldn’t mind. At least she would get to see her parents and Nari again.

Aila stood next to the large oak, silent as she looked at the younger elf. There was no anger or pity in her eyes. She held a look that said she was unsure of how she felt. The two sat in silence for a few moments, Aila keeping a hand over her stomach in a relaxed yet protective manner. The way someone who was expecting would.

Alia was only a few years older than Amareth, but it was easy to forget that. She had taken over as halla keeper with little help after Amareth’s mother died and was always a warm and loving girl. She never lost her temper or yelled. She spoke softly and smiled kindly, always seeming to want to help. Amareth thought that she would make a wonderful mother.

“I’m sorry.” Amareth whispered the words, unable to face the other girl. Aila frowned but said nothing. Damon was the father, he had died in his attempt to take Amareth back to the aravels. He hadn’t even known Aila was with child. No one knew. Aila had announced it in a fit of tears when the Keeper told her of Damon’s passing.

“I place no blame on you.” Aila spoke slowly, as if she was still unsure. She didn’t sit down, simply stood and leaned against the trunk of the oak. There was another long pause. Silence filled with unspoken pain and blame.

Aila finally broke it once again. “This is the second time people have willingly died for you.” She said, her voice hollow and lacking its usual warmth. Replaced with pain and a cruel anger.

Amareth clenched her fist, fingers wrapping around the pin in her hand. “I know…”

“Do you remember your parents?”

She wanted to say yes, to erase all doubt that she could forget the ones who loved her more than anything. The ones who also died for her. “...I try…” She whispered, “But when I think of ‘father’ I see Talvon… and when I think ‘mother’ I see the Keeper. Sometimes I can hear her voice though, my mother. I can hear the songs she sang to me when I was still a babe. Songs about death and sacrifice. I remember my father sitting me on his knee as he braided my hair. He always smelt of freshly cut trees and elfroot.

“Then there are the times when I just see the blood. When I can’t hear anything but the sound of them telling me to run as the shems cut them down. Mother wasn’t a fighter, but she still tried to fend them off. She wouldn’t leave his side.”

Aila made a sound and Amareth looked at her. She was staring down at the yonger elf with a deep frown, a look of disgust clear on her face. “You should be dead.” The statement left her in shock and she looked lamely at Aila.

“Twice now you have escaped death because others have sacrificed themselves, and what do you do with that? ‘Oh woe is me, I don’t want my magic! I don’t want to be Keeper! I just want to frolic in the forest and climb trees and piss off shemlen nobels.’ You’re parents died for you so that you could make something of yourself! They would have been so proud to see you named First, and you toss it aside like a burden. And now, now our clan is falling apart. And here you are once again. ‘Woe is me. This is all my fault. I couldn’t save them.’ If you feel bad, then fix it! You can’t bring people back to life, Amareth, but you can survive! That is what you do when people die. You live. That’s all you can do. Because if you sit here and pity yourself then they died for nothing. If you sit here and pity yourself then you should have been the one to die. My child will be born into this world without a father, and it is up to you to make his death mean something. It is up to you to make his death a story worth telling. To make Nari’s death a story worth telling.

“They died for you. Now live for them.”

Amareth felt tears spill over her eyes as Aila spoke. _Live for them_.

The Lavellan clan could not stay in one place for long after that. Not a month past and they got word of an uprising in Kirkwall. The Chantry destroyed by an apostate, a man named Hawke fighting alongside the mages, the Templars eventually leaving the Chantry to purge the mages. Nowhere was safe.

A year past and nothing was solved. The fighting got worse with each day. Slavers took advantage of the chaos and prayed on refuges. Very few did anything to help them. After the mages rebelled, the Templars stopped caring about who they killed. Anyone they came across was guilty of something. They killed everyone, claiming they needed to be careful.

Another year past and word of an Inquisition spread. It seemed doomed to fail, no one could possibly stop the madness that had plagued Thedas the past two years. They came to the Free Marches, searching for the champion. For a while, there seemed to be hope. That hope vanished once the Inquisition left, unable to find the Champion they were looking for.

Another year. More fighting. Still no solution. The Keeper listened to it all, saying that the problems the shems faced would effect them all. When she heard of the Conclave, she told Amareth to go.

“You must, Da’len. The outcome of their Conclave will effect the fate of our clan. You are the only one I can trust to do this.”

Amareth couldn’t argue. She packed nothing, not even a staff. The Keeper gave her shemlen clothing so she could blend in easier and she was sent off alone.

The only thing she took with her was a silver halla pin to keep her hair up.

 


	9. Amareth

“You Dalish?” A massive woman sat across from Amareth. Bronze skin and short white hair, yellow eyes and horns that curved over her pointed ears like a ram. She was terrifying, yet there was a certain gentle air about her. Amareth recognized her as Qunari. She answered the question with a short nod.

“Where is your clan, Dalish?” There was no cruelty in her voice, just genuine curiosity.

“My clan is dead.” Amareth lied, remembering the story the Keeper had told her, “They were killed in the madness of this war. I started selling my skills as a rogue and now I’m going to the conclave to help keep the peace.”

The Qunari narrowed her eyes as if she knew she was lying. She probably did, but she said nothing.

“Adaar.”

“What?”

“My name is Adaar.”

“I didn’t think Qunari had names.”

Adaar smiled slightly, seemingly amused. “They don’t. Technically I’m not Qunari, I’m Tal-Vashoth. My parents left the Qun long before I was born. I honestly can’t tell you much about it. But I am a savage beast. They say I drink the blood of the young.” The tension lifted slightly when the large woman laughed and Amareth smiled.

“Amareth.” She told her.

Addar nodded. “Is this your first time at sea?”

“How can you tell?”

“You make this disgusted face every time the ship tilts.” Adaar scrunched her face in an attempt to mimic the expression Amareth had made. She laughed and Addar smiled. “You should smile more. It looks like you think too much.”

Amareth’s expression softened and she nodded. “Thank you.”

A male dwarf called for Adaar and she sighed, slowly standing and waving her hand to acknowledge him. She started to walk away but glanced back at Amareth. “Listen, if you need anything just come find me, we’re always looking for the help.”

She smiled and nodded, watching as she left.

The ship hit a wave and tilted a bit, making Amareth grimace. And then she laughed.

\--

Cold. Amareth was cold. Her legs were sore from kneeling on the stone floor for so long. A tingle ran up her arm, not entirely painful but not pleasant. When she opened her eyes, she was staring at the chantry symbol on the floor. Four guards surrounded her with swords drawn, ready to act if she did anything threatening. Her hands were bound and resting on her thighs, her left hand glowing green. The glow hurt. She slowly raised her arms to inspect it. There was a gash in the palm of her hand from which the light was coming from. It burned. And it looked like it was growing.

The light burst. There was an immediate and sharp pain that ran through her arm and throughout her bones, singing to her blood and making her scars and tattoos burn like the sun. Amareth held back a scream with a strangled gasp, watching as the mark on her hand grew.

What had happened to her?

The door opened and two women walked in. The guards sheathed their swords and took a step back as the women walked forward, one of them circling behind Amareth as if to inspect her. The second woman stood in front of her, watching carefully as the other leaned forward to speak close to Amareth’s ear.

“Tell me why we shouldn’t kill you now.” Her tone was accusing and she stood back up, walking slowly around Amareth as she continued, “The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you.”

“You think I’m responsible?”

The woman grabbed her glowing hand and shoved it in Amareth’s face. “Explain this.”

“I… I can’t.” Amareth looked down at her hand, searching her mind for answers she didn’t have.

“What do you mean you _can’t_?!”

“I don’t know what that is! Or how it got there.”

Anger rushed over the woman’s face, along with something else. Fear, maybe. “You’re lying!” She seized Amareth, grabbing the collar of her jacket, but the second woman intervened quickly.   
“We need her, Cassandra!” She reminded her, grabbing her arm and pulling her back a few steps. The woman named Cassandra shook her head and turned away.

“I don’t understand.” Amareth looked between the two women nervously. They seemed as confused as she was.   
“Do you remember what happened?” The second woman asked, “How this all began.”

Amareth glanced at Cassandra who was now pacing again, watching Amareth carefully.

“I.. I remember running. _Things_ were chasing me. And then..” She paused, everything was so fuzzy. “A woman?”

“A woman?” She crossed her arms, listing carefully.

“She reached out to me. But then…” Amareth trailed off. There was nothing after that.

“Go to the forward camp, Leliana. I will take her to the rift.” Cassandra said, saving them all from the silence. Leliana’s eyes lingered on Amareth before she nodded and left.

Cassandra knelt down and unshackled Amareth, replacing the wooden bindings with rope. “What _did_ happen?” Amareth whispered, honestly afraid of the answer.

Cassandra frowned, but her expression softened slightly. “It will be easier to show you.” She said, pulling Amareth to her feet.

The sky was ripped open, glowing the same bright sicking green color as Amareth’s hand. “Creators… have mercy…” She whispered under her breath.

“We call it “The Breach”. It is a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour.” Cassandra said turning to look at Amareth, “It is not the only such rift. Just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the Conclave.”

“An explosion can do that?”

“This one did.” Cassandra frowned and crossed her arms, moving towards Amareth, “Unless we act, The Breach may grow until it swallows the world.”

As if the prove a point The Breach pulsed, sending a wave through the sky. The mark on Amareth’s hand did the same, pulling her arm towards the sky as her body burned. She screamed in pain and fell to her knees, struggling to curl her fingers into a fist and pull her arm to her stomach in an attempt to stop the pain.

Cassandra knelt down. “Each time The Breach expands, your mark spreads… and it is killing you. It may be the key to stopping this, but there isn’t much time.”

Amareth paused. She had questions but no time for answers. She looked down at her hand, the pain had lessened and the glowing had stopped. She took a deep breath and looked up at Cassandra. “I understand.”

“Then…?”

“I’ll do what I can. Whatever it takes.” She meant it. Either she would die trying to stop this madness, or die for a crime she did not commit. Might as well die fighting.

Something softened in Cassandra’s expression, just slightly, as she stood and helped Amareth off the ground once again. She kept her hand firmly on her back as they walked through the small village, greeted with accusing glares and fearful glance.

“They have decided your guilt. They need it.” Cassandra said, a touch of pain in her voice, “The people of Haven mourn our Most Holy, Divine Justinia, head of the Chantry. The Conclave was hers. It was a chance for peace between mages and Templars. She brought their leaders together. Now, they are dead.”

“We lash out like the sky, but we must think beyond ourselves. As she did. Until The Breach is sealed.” She held out her hand to stop Amareth from moving forward, pulling a dagger from her belt and moving in front of her. “There will be a trial. I can promise no more.” She said, cutting the rope to free Amareth’s hands. “Come, it is not far.”

"Where are you taking me?"

"You're mark must be tested on something smaller than the Breach." Cassandra answered as they walked across the stone bridge.

Amareth could hear a few humans praying. Repeating words from their Chant of Light. Cassandra called for some men to open the gate at the end of the Bridge, and the two of them continued on together.

Soldiers ran away from the direction they were heading, shouting in fear and declaring the end of the world. Amareth clenched her jaw and continued moving, not daring to stop. Caravans lay engulfed in flame on the side of the road, long abandoned and destroyed.

Another pulse raked through her body, making her stumble and fall. The pain was incredible. Amareth clenched her wrist in some useless attempt to cut off the feeling from the rest of her body. Cassandra knelt down and helped her stand once more, grabbing her shoulders to steady her.

“The pulses are coming faster now.” She said, patting her shoulder before turning and moving forward once again. “The larger The Breach grows, the more rifts appear, the more demons we face.”

Amareth nodded and followed close behind her, pushing back any lingering pain. “How _did_ I survive the blast?”

“They said you… stepped out of a rift. Then fell unconscious.” Cassandra sounded skeptical, maybe worried that it was true, “They say a woman was in the rift behind you. No one knows who she was.”

They reached another bridge and Cassandra looked on, “Everything farther in the valley was laid to waste. Including the Temple of Sacred Ashes. I suppose you’ll see soon enough.”  

There was a flash of green, like a lightning bolt, that struck the bridge. The stone shook before crumbling under their feet. With a painful thud, and stone debris hitting her, Amareth fell onto the frozen lake. Her body was buzzing, telling her to get back up, yet she didn’t move. Another bolt of green light struck the lake and creatures clawed their way out of the strange mark it left behind. Creatures Amareth was not unfamiliar with. Demons of the Fade.

She was still struggling to get back to her feet when Cassandra ran past her, shouting a quick command of “Stay behind me!”

Amareth didn’t listen. She blocked out Cassandra’s voice and searched for something, anything, to help. An old staff lay among the debris of the bridge and Amareth quickly grabbed it, fighting off the second demon that appeared.

It was not a difficult battle, the demon fell with a few strikes of lightning and Amareth sighed in relief. “It is done.”

Cassandra turned her sword towards Amareth and sneared. “Drop your weapon. Now.”

Amareth hesitated and took a deep breath. “Alright… Have it your way.” She threw the staff to the ground and it clattered loudly. There was a clear look on Amareth’s face, one that Cassandra could easily read. It was a look of defiance. But it was a look that she was currently not acting upon.

“Wait.” Cassandra sheathed her sword and rubbed her forehead, “You don’t need a staff, but you should have one. I cannot protect you. I should remember that you agreed to come willingly.”

Amareth didn’t say anything, but noted that Cassandra was trying to apologize. “Lets just go.” She muttered as they continued on.


End file.
